Movie Gimmicks

13 Ghosts Poster

Castle's Gimmicks

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Castle's films weren't just released in your standard 35mm print/optical soundtrack combo. No, each Castle production premiered an exciting motion picture "innovation":

$ 1,000 Fright Insurance policy from Lloyd's Of London: Macabre (1958)

"Emergo": inflatable skeletons soars over the audience. House on Haunted Hill (1959)

"Percepto": electrified theatre seats simulate an attack of the title beast. The Tingler (1959)

"Illusion-O!": special viewing glasses reveal screen spectres. 13 Ghosts (1960)

"Fright Break" (MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!): to allow cowards to flee the theatre. Homicidal (1961)

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"Punishment Poll": audiences vote to kill or spare the villain. Mr Sardonicus (1961)

Magic "Zotz" coins (which did absolutely nothing): Zotz! (1962)

Plastic bloody axes, plus, the immortal slogan: "Keep telling yourself, it's only a movie, it's only a movie...". Straight Jacket (1964)

Seat belts for the frightened: I Saw What You Did (1965)

Several well publicized "mysterious illnesses", including Castle's own: Rosemary's Baby (1968)

Million dollar cockroach insurance policy for star "Hercules" the cockroach: Bug (1975)

Sadly, Castle's plans for a windshield wiper like device on the theatre floors to simulate roach movement were not economically feasible. Castle died that year, as did an entire sensibility.

Other movie gimmicks

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